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Monday, December 17, 2007

Sickels: New York Yankees Top 20 Prospects for 2008

Thanks to Barnald who sez…“so much for Tabata falling off.”

1 - Joba Chamberlain, RHP, Grade A
2 - Jose Tabata, OF, Grade B+
3 - Ian Kennedy, RHP, Grade B+
4 - Alan Horne, RHP, Grade B
5 - Austin Jackson, OF, Grade B-
6 - Bradley Suttle, 3B, Grade B-
7 - Dellin Betances, RHP, Grade B-
8 - Austin Romine, C, Grade B- (hate grading guys who haven’t played yet, could be C+)
9 - Jesus Montero, C, Grade C+ (borderline B-)
10 - Dan McCutchen, RHP, Grade C+

Repoz Posted: December 17, 2007 at 10:40 AM | 28 comment(s) | Login to Bookmark
Related News: General, Minor Leagues, Prospect Reports, Scouting, NY Yankees

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1. NJ is feeling better Posted: December 17, 2007 at 11:44 AM (#2647737)

Jackson as a B- is...interesting. I think Jackson has a lot to prove, but given his amateur background as well as his Tools and '07 performance I have a hard time buying him as a B- when a guy like Kalish is a B. On the other hand, I think he's grading aggressively on Suttle who has questions to answer as far as hitting for power and fielding his position. I think Montero should probably be at least a definite B-, maybe a B, given his tools and performance to date.

2. Liver of blaspheming 'zop Posted: December 17, 2007 at 01:05 PM (#2647757)

8 - Austin Romine, C, Grade B- (hate grading guys who haven’t played yet, could be C+)

And yet, Ryan Kalish has like 140 career AB's.

3. philly Posted: December 17, 2007 at 01:33 PM (#2647767)

Was it this sad when Sox fans had a patholigical need to bring up the Yankees and how unfairly "our" team is being treated in comparison in every discussion about the Sox?

4. Frisco Cali Posted: December 17, 2007 at 01:55 PM (#2647783)

Was it this sad....

Yes

5. Valentine Posted: December 17, 2007 at 05:11 PM (#2647941)

These guys are obviously underrated. Any piece of meat in pinstripes ought to be worth at least a B+ grade, and the top five are all A or A- talents. Sickels hates the Yankees! Doesn't he realize they've won 26 championships?

6. Greg (U)K Posted: December 17, 2007 at 05:13 PM (#2647943)

Frankly I'm surprised that no Red Sox fans have come in and complained about how Sickels doesn't give Yankees fans the same treatment here as he gave the Sox fans (re: getting hate mail for grades they disagree with)

Full Discolsure, I'm a Jays fan so I hate all y'all!

7. Designated Sitter (GGC) Posted: December 17, 2007 at 05:24 PM (#2647949)

I feel old. Austin Romine is Kevin's kid (but Kevin was older than I thought.) BTW, Kevin's wikipedia page is rather odd.

8. Cowboy Popup Posted: December 17, 2007 at 05:28 PM (#2647955)

No Sanchez? No Ohlendorf? And that's the lowest I've seen Brackman. I think Goldstein likes the Yankee system more then Sickels. I'd like to see more of an explanation for some of these rankings and exclusions, but I guess that's what the book is for.

9. Cowboy Popup Posted: December 17, 2007 at 05:30 PM (#2647961)

Was it this sad when Sox fans had a patholigical need to bring up the Yankees and how unfairly "our" team is being treated in comparison in every discussion about the Sox?

Way to blow one post out of proportion.

These guys are obviously underrated. Any piece of meat in pinstripes ought to be worth at least a B+ grade, and the top five are all A or A- talents. Sickels hates the Yankees! Doesn't he realize they've won 26 championships?

I'm sure glad Sox fans don't feel the need to show up in Yankee threads and make ridiculous posts like all those abrasive Yankee fans.

10. NJ is feeling better Posted: December 17, 2007 at 05:30 PM (#2647962)

Sickels has decided to change Jackson's grade to a B.

11. Cowboy Popup Posted: December 17, 2007 at 05:33 PM (#2647964)

Sickels has decided to change Jackson's grade to a B.

Due to badgering by an annonymous fan who hates his job maybe?

12. NJ is feeling better Posted: December 17, 2007 at 05:40 PM (#2647974)

No, I think it was due to most people on his site expressing surprise at the B-, though some did agree with it on the basis of Jackson's spotty A- ball record.

13. Cowboy Popup Posted: December 17, 2007 at 05:44 PM (#2647977)

I think it was due to most people on his site expressing surprise at the B-

I was surprised, Goldstein's got him 3rd in the system, just behind Kennedy and just ahead of Tabata. I guess he's more tools then performance though, so I understand Sickels downgrading him, just not that far. A B fits a lot better with everything else I've read.

Looking at the list, Sickels obviously doesn't consider upside as much as the other prospect types do.

14. Valentine Posted: December 17, 2007 at 06:09 PM (#2648003)

I'm sure glad Sox fans don't feel the need to show up in Yankee threads and make ridiculous posts like all those abrasive Yankee fans.

Simply summarizing what I read on the Boston.com message boards daily. At least my comment is in obvious parody. :-)

Besides, Sickels seems to expect complaints from Red Sox and Yankees fans, and there was NOTHING in the Red Sox rankings to beef about. Lowrie, Anderson, Kalish, Bates, and Bubba Bell <grin> were all stretches for the grades he gave them IMHO. In contrast, I think he might be selling Kennedy and Jackson short. (Guess he's bumped Jackson's grade up a notch already.)

15. Liver of blaspheming 'zop Posted: December 17, 2007 at 06:31 PM (#2648030)

Speaking of Yankee prospects, what's the deal with Francisco Cervelli? All the kid does is hit.

16. Cowboy Popup Posted: December 17, 2007 at 06:33 PM (#2648034)

Lowrie, Anderson, Kalish, Bates, and Bubba Bell <grin> were all stretches for the grades he gave them IMHO. In contrast, I think he might be selling Kennedy and Jackson short.

I don't really know enough to argue with someone who knows about prospects (I don't even know who Bates or Bell are in the Sox system), I was just surprised Sickels graded out the bottom half of the top ten the way he did. Having read the comments and seeing more of explanation on the way he grades, I'm not surprised he's more conservative about the Yanks' system then others are.

I think Sickels has been pretty consistent in his rankings. Just because he needs a tweak here and there doesn't invalidate everything else.

I don't think anyone is suggesting that.

17. bond1 Posted: December 17, 2007 at 10:40 PM (#2648324)

Any news on Brandon Laird, Gerald's (Rangers catcher)little brother? He was high school all-everything at Westminster High in OC with something like a 600 BA, then hit 341 with 6 HRs first year in JC ball.
Here are his stats last year at Tampa (rookie ball)at age 19:
Year Team Lg Age Org. Level Pos Ln G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO HBP IBB SH SF DP AVG OBP SLG OPS

2007 GCL Yanks GCL 19 Nyy Rk 45 168 27 57 14 1 8 29 0 0 6 26 2 0 1 1 4 .339 .367 .577 944

I still can't figure out why he wasn't picked until the 27th round. The kid can hit and has a good arm.

18. Cowboy Popup Posted: December 17, 2007 at 10:53 PM (#2648327)

I still can't figure out why he wasn't picked until the 27th round. The kid can hit and has a good arm

What position does he play?

19. philly Posted: December 17, 2007 at 11:42 PM (#2648359)

Was it this sad when Sox fans had a patholigical need to bring up the Yankees and how unfairly "our" team is being treated in comparison in every discussion about the Sox?

Way to blow one post out of proportion.

Well one thing will never change - Yankee fans have no sense of humor about themselves.

I guess that's due to the serious nature of rooting for US Steel.

20. Mike Emeigh

Posted: December 18, 2007 at 12:01 AM (#2648369)

Looking at the list, Sickels obviously doesn't consider upside as much as the other prospect types do.

Not true, otherwise Brackman wouldn't even be on the list.

-- MWE

21. Der Komminsk-sar Posted: December 18, 2007 at 12:34 AM (#2648386)

Laird (who plays third base) fell for the usual reasons - signability questions (Boras + thoughts of going to a 4 yr school) and concerns about his glove (range and hands, not his arm). I was (and am) bullish on him, but he played beyond my expectations last year.
***
CP: Looking at the list, Sickels obviously doesn't consider upside as much as the other prospect types do.
ME: Not true, otherwise Brackman wouldn't even be on the list.
I agree with the first statement (irrespective of Brackman's rank), insofar as it includes the section I bolded.

22. APNY Posted: December 18, 2007 at 02:01 AM (#2648416)

There seems to be a TON of projection here. 8 of these guys have never even played full season ball. Suttle and Romine especially are way higher than anything else i have heard.

23. APNY Posted: December 18, 2007 at 02:24 AM (#2648435)

As: Joba

Bs: Kennedy, Tabata, Jackson, Horne, Montero, Bentances (maybe)

Cs: Gardner, Olendorf, Edwar (grad?), Patterson, Robertson, Whelan, Corona, Miranda, Marquez, Kontos, Cervelli, Cuello, Dunn, McAllister, Pope, Snyder, Sublett, Pruitt, Barreda, Heredia, A.Almonte, Laird, Albaladejo.

Hurt/?: Norton, Sanchez, Melecon, Garcia, Angelini, Romine, Suttle, Brackman

Lots of upside/risk with a lot of the young Cs obviously. Grading recent draftees, especially those who haven't played, seems odd.

24. Cowboy Popup Posted: December 18, 2007 at 07:17 PM (#2649018)

Well one thing will never change - Yankee fans have no sense of humor about themselves.

Philly, I doubt anyone cracked a smile thanks to your posts. I would suggest injecting humor into your jokes, its surprising how much funnier it makes them.

Not true, otherwise Brackman wouldn't even be on the list.

I'm not saying he doesn't consider upside, but compared to BA and Kevin Goldstein, it looks like the high upside guys who have limited or mixed performances rank much higher in their rankings then in Sickels'. To use your example, Sickels has Brackman at 13 in his rankings, Goldstein has him at 8.

25. Cowboy Popup Posted: December 18, 2007 at 07:27 PM (#2649035)

I did.

Further evidence that there was nothing remotely funny in them.

26. Valentine Posted: December 18, 2007 at 07:29 PM (#2649039)

Dunno about others, but I find your attempts at regulating levity to be hilarious CP! :-)

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Sickels: New York Yankees Top 20 Prospects for 2008

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